My car's a writeoff! <RANT warning>

[tranq78]

Gotta vent about my poor car.

It was rear ended a week ago. There is damage to both the rear and front as the collision pushed it into the vehicle ahead of me.

I'm not hurt. But the insurance company has told me the car is a complete writeoff.

So they are paying me market value for it, which is 1/3 the dollar amount of the damages that was caused. Lovely. The car was just winterized, the oil was just changed, all the maintenance was done, the gas tank was just filled.

Great, like I need to go out and spend money buying a new car at this stage of the economy. Thanks a lot.

And the kicker to this is that the young lady who struck me didn't say a single word to me afterwards. She was talking on the phone when I walked back to see her, she was on the phone every time after when I went back to talk to her, and she never bothered getting out of her car to talk to any of us or see if we were hurt. I suspect she was blabbing on the phone when she caused the accident. Her insurance company tried (briefly) to assign partial blame to me, suggesting that I had already rear-ended the car in front of me before she smacked into me.

I am soooo pissed off right now.

[séamuis]

gotta love bad drivers and insurance companies. especially insurance companies.

[sureshgvv]

Sorry to hear about your car. Glad to know that you are ok. I hate all those people who are on the phone while driving!!!

[Clicker]

i'm pissed you didn't take any photos


glad you're okay, GM should be having a huge sale on used and new soon.

[Mallee Boy]

Thats rotten luck George. Very glad to hear the damage is only plastic & metal.....physche` aside .

I am constantly amazed at people who hold & talk on the mobile in traffic, there is no way their concentration is on their driving. I think here in Australia that police will have a look at your mobile phone records at the time of an accident and if it can be proved you were on the phone you are in a more than a spot of bother(that is anecdotal), but if its not the case ...it should be.

Enjoy the new car.

Cheers
Grant

[tranq78]

Originally Posted by Clicker

i'm pissed you didn't take any photos

Oh, but I didn't need to take pictures. You see, there was another young lady that showed up a few minutes later with a big honkin' Canon telephoto lens & DSLR. She took a bunch of pictures.

I found out she works for the newspaper because a picture of the accident was published the next day.

Thanks for everyone's well wishes.

[Tom S.]

Step One: Get a truck.
Step Two: Get a really big trailer hitch
Step Three: Laugh at the poor fool who rearends you next time.

My S10 got rearended twice in less than a minute. We were on the freeway when traffic stopped suddeny. I stopped, but the van behind didn't - well at least not until he hit me. Then someone slammed into him. End result: New bumper and tailgate for my truck, while the van was totalled.

[Clicker]

Originally Posted by tranq78

Oh, but I didn't need to take pictures. You see, there was another young lady that showed up a few minutes later with a big honkin' Canon telephoto lens & DSLR. She took a bunch of pictures.

I found out she works for the newspaper because a picture of the accident was published the next day.

Thanks for everyone's well wishes.

damit, you should have PUSHED your car over her LOL

WOW Tom, "Built Tough"

[Damn Brit]

That sucks, I feel for you. Shit like this always happens at the wrong time (not that any time is the right time but you know what I mean). I'm glad you're ok.

They passed a law here in California this year, hands free only and kids under 21, no electronic devices at all.

In England, you're not allowed to do anything apart from just drive in a car. No eating, no drinking, no phones.

[MRRiley]

Originally Posted by Tom S.

Step One: Get a truck.
Step Two: Get a really big trailer hitch
Step Three: Laugh at the poor fool who rearends you next time.

My S10 got rearended twice in less than a minute. We were on the freeway when traffic stopped suddeny. I stopped, but the van behind didn't - well at least not until he hit me. Then someone slammed into him. End result: New bumper and tailgate for my truck, while the van was totalled.

Yep... gotta love big truck and nice pointy trailer hitches....

[graphicgr8s]

I think my next car will be an Abrams (tank) then at least if it gets hit I won't feel a thing.

Let's see: Talking on the phone, applying makeup, smoking a cigarette and trying to downshift. See that all too often.
Oh yeah and reading a book!
Hang up the phone and DRIVE


For Damn Brit

[Damn Brit]

Originally Posted by graphicgr8s

For Damn Brit

Nananananananana................ not listening.

[dave sz]

So your car is totalled, they're giving you money based on what it's worth and you're mad about that?
My friend's car was just totalled too, a mint 1998 nissan maxima, 60xxx miles. $12k or so in damages. They're giving him $7k. He paid $8.5 for it over 2 years ago. He was ecstatic that he got that much. So unless this was a brand new car, I don't see what there is to argue about.

[tranq78]

Originally Posted by dave sz

So your car is totalled, they're giving you money based on what it's worth and you're mad about that?
My friend's car was just totalled too, a mint 1998 nissan maxima, 60xxx miles. $12k or so in damages. They're giving him $7k. He paid $8.5 for it over 2 years ago. He was ecstatic that he got that much. So unless this was a brand new car, I don't see what there is to argue about.

Hey, I'm venting. I'm not supposed to be logical.

Your friend did well. He only took a hit of $750 per year which is really good. I had a 1996 and I can assure you that I am getting only pocket change - she did $10K of damages and the black book is worth only a fraction of this, even though the car was immaculately maintained. (She hit my car so hard that it was completely pushed under the truck in front of me).

I'm not mad at my insurance company. They're treating me quite well.

I am annoyed at the young lady who was driving way too fast for the road conditions, but who told my insurance company that there was nothing wrong with her driving and that it wasn't her fault, and the total indifference with which she treated those of us that she rear-ended. I mean, at least get out of your car to apologize and check if we're OK. And get off that stupid phone for 2 seconds of your life ma'am. You could have seriously injured a couple other people - the least you can do is pretend to care.

The only good thing about that day is that I am not injured.

OK, I know, I'm still ranting.

[Damn Brit]

Originally Posted by tranq78

Hey, I'm venting. I'm not supposed to be logical.

Your friend did well. He only took a hit of $750 per year which is really good. I had a 1996 and I can assure you that I am getting only pocket change - she did $10K of damages and the black book is worth only a fraction of this, even though the car was immaculately maintained. (She hit my car so hard that it was completely pushed under the truck in front of me).

I'm not mad at my insurance company. They're treating me quite well.

I am annoyed at the young lady who was driving way too fast for the road conditions, but who told my insurance company that there was nothing wrong with her driving and that it wasn't her fault, and the total indifference with which she treated those of us that she rear-ended. I mean, at least get out of your car to apologize and check if we're OK. And get off that stupid phone for 2 seconds of your life ma'am. You could have seriously injured a couple other people - the least you can do is pretend to care.

The only good thing about that day is that I am not injured.

OK, I know, I'm still ranting.

You could always pursue a private small claim if you can find a witness who saw she was on the phone.